


Questions

by xSpeechlessx



Category: No Evil (Web Series), No Evil-Betsy Lee
Genre: Betsy if you see this, Drama, Gen, I also had to alter a few things from assumed canon because, I tried really hard to keep them in character but Charles is such a snarky asshole, I'm Sorry, Just a fun little story i wanted to get out, The Shamans are my absolute favorites, This is my first Fic yall so, alright then, on with the show, roast me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-16 10:54:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21506719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xSpeechlessx/pseuds/xSpeechlessx
Summary: Ixtlilton runs into a peculiar child on his way to Hollow.  He thinks playing a game might get them to open up a bit.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	Questions

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! so just a few things:  
> I changed how fast the crystal consumes the shamans because once again:Drama. You'll see that at the end  
> If Charles comes off as OOC then I apologize. I really struggled to keep him as a snarky and deceitful little shit.  
> Finally, Thank you to anyone who decides to read!

It was cold. Overwhelming so. The snow crunched underfoot and radiated like thunder throughout the silent landscape as Ixtlilton trudged on with his hands folded in the sleeves of his robe to chase off the biting cold. His ear twitched slightly as he heard another small stumble a little ways behind him. 

He was being followed. A fact that he had been aware of for quite a while now. His missing sight made it feel like sound roared in his ears to make up for the blackness of the world and not much could escape his keen hearing nowadays. He had heard the short and even footsteps following him for some time. Judging by how close together the steps were it was unlikely it was an adult and due to how uneven and irregular the steps were it couldn’t possibly be an animal tracking him. It seems he was being followed by a human child; the question was: why? Perhaps they were hurt? It seemed unlikely that they were there to do any harm but, then again, they had yet to let themselves be known for the entire time they had been tailing him. 

How very odd. He mused.

Ixtlilton halts and turns to listen. He hears his stalker stop as well. Perhaps it was time to end this little pursuit. 

“Hello?” his call echoes eerily through the silent landscape. “I know you are there little one. I’ve been aware of your presence for at least an hour now” 

There was still no response, though, he probably shouldn’t have expected one. If the child had yet to reveal themselves up to this point, then it was highly unlikely they would reveal themselves now. He would have to deal with this delicately so as not to scare them any more than they might be already. They could very well be hurt and perhaps the thought of approaching a large monkey spirit alone in the woods was what was keeping them from coming too close. 

“Little one” he says, turning slightly “you do not have to be afraid. I am Ixtlilton. I may be able to help with any injuries you may have and will be able to lead you to the nearby town so we can go about bringing you home, it is far too cold for a child to be out here by themselves.” 

The silence still reigns, and he begins to wonder if he would have to seek out the child himself when suddenly an idea strikes him. “Would you like to play a game?” he asks. Maybe this would be enough to get his silent stalker to open up a bit. After a few more moments of silence he adds “I’ll even let you go first” 

Finally, they answer quietly 

“What kind of game?” 

Ah, so it’s a little boy then. Not very old either, perhaps 12 or even younger. He shouldn’t be too hard to convince to trust him then. The sooner he can deal with this child the sooner he can head to hollow to meet with Xochipilli.

“It is a simple game” he begins. “We will take turns asking a question, when the other has answered it will be their turn to ask.”

“That’s not much of a game” he answers plainly

Ixtlilton frowns at this. he couldn’t think of another way to get the child to approach him or how to get him to speak with him further. “would you like to play something else then?” 

The boy seems to ponder this before answering. “Nah, it might be a boring game but you look interesting enough so it might actually be fun to play. Can I still go first?”

He smiles “Of course, what would you like to ask me then, little one” 

The boy considers this for a moment before asking “Are you really a spirit?” 

Strange, the boy has never encountered a spirit before? Perhaps he is new to this area “Yes, I am the spirit of medicine and children, it is part of my duty to heal and protect children.” He finishes and waits to hear if the boy has anything to add. When he hears nothing, he continues. “I suppose it is my turn now. What are you doing out here in the woods all alone?”

Silence meets his question. For a moment he believes the child has left, though he had heard no retreating steps. The slightest crunch of snow is the only sign that the boy is still there. Only when he opens his mouth to speak again does the child choose to answer, sounding slightly closer than before. “My friends tricked me into coming out here and then ditched me as a prank. I tried to find my way back, but I just got more lost. I saw you and thought maybe you could help.” 

“I can child. Would you like to walk with me? I can lead you to the nearest town so we can go about finding your parents.”

“Maybe” he pauses “can we still play if I go with you?” 

Ixtlilton smiles a bit “of course, little one” he turns and begins walking and listens for a bit to see if the child is following him. Sure enough, he hears small footsteps following behind him. 

“It’s my turn” the boy practically sings.

He chuckles a bit. “It seems so, go ahead with your next question.” 

“What’s with that weird mask on your face?” 

He huffs another small laugh at the rather bold question before answering. “This mask is part of a contract between myself and four other spirits.” No need to go into too much detail. He would rather not scare the boy. 

He continues “What is your name?” he asks simply 

He receives just as simple an answer. “Charles” he says. The boy, Charles, sounds even closer than before. It seems he may be slowly approaching him as he becomes more comfortable. Silence once again takes over with the only sound coming from their trudging through the snow as the boy contemplates another question. He’s actually beginning to enjoy their little game. He does not interact with the humans often and he has even less opportunities to speak with the human children despite being a spirit of children.

“Where are you going?” He asks 

“I am headed to the town of Hollow to meet with my brother. We are going to wait there for our sister before heading out together. Though since she will not arrive for a few days at least we will have some time to take you home or find someone else who can”

“Do they also have weird masks like yours?”

“They do have something similar. Though, instead of lost sight they have lost hearing and the ability to speak.” He finishes. “I believe it is my turn to ask a question now. How long have you been lost before you found me?”

“Oh, not too long. Maybe an hour?”

Ixtlilton frowns at this. “That is far too long to be out here alone in such frigid weather. Maybe we will have to talk with the children who left you out here.”

Charles brushes his offer off “It’s not that big of a deal. I don’t play with them often anyways. There’s a ditch here.” He says suddenly. Ixtliton nods, he knew it was there but chose not to comment, and gracefully jumps over. He turns to listen and hears Charles leap over and stumble a bit shortly after “Is it hard not being able to see or speak or hear?” he asks unexpectedly after recovering. 

“Hm” Ixtlilton tilts his head slightly as they continue their trek. “In the beginning it was hard to adjust.” He admits. “Though I mourned my lost sight I adjusted quickly. I believe it was harder for my brother than my sister. She was able to adapt to her lost voice well, but I believe he struggled after losing his hearing. Though he did not say it I believe he grieved for a time, he could no longer enjoy our songs, share our stories without translation, nor could he even hold a simple conversation with his own twin. Now I believe it is easier for all of us. We have had time to adjust and adapt without our lost senses. Do you believe your parents are looking for you?” He wonders

“Oh, I don’t have parents.” He says it indifferently but his answer shocks Ixtlilton. “You don’t have parents?” he asks. “Who cares for you then? Are you all alone?”

“Well, I guess technically I have a dad and a sister. We’re not blood related though. We just kind of live together. My real parents abandoned me when I was a baby.”

Ixtlilton senses nothing but indifference from the child and relaxes a bit. “I’m sure there is more to your parents leaving you, though I am sure your father and sister will be very happy when you are returned home.” 

“Mm” he mumbles “Let’s just keep playing.”

He decides not to push him, after all the goal of their game is to help get him home, not to make him uncomfortable “Alright, I believe it was your turn then.”

“Okay, what was it like” he starts. “When you were consumed by the black ick?” 

Ixtlilton starts a bit at this. “how do you know of that night?” he asks after a moment. This child sounds far too young to remember such a thing and, though the mortals were also afflicted by the black Tezcatlapocas power, not many knew of the battle that occurred during that time.

“Ah ah ah” he tuts. “you have to answer my question first and besides, I told you about my parents. It’s only fair you answer this question.”

“I…see” Ixhilton pauses for a moment. “It was very cold. And very taxing. Voices whispered in my ear and told me terrible things.”

He remembers that night with terrible clarity. He can practically hear the voices whispering to him now with terribly dark promises. Voices telling him to sleep. To let it take over and he would find peace. The longer he fought the more persistent the voices became. The darker his thoughts spiraled. It was all for naught it had snarled. His siblings would perish, he would perish. We would fail. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed Charles question

“Are you alright?” the boy is practically walking next to him at this point. Ixtlilton shakes his head gently to clear his mind. That horrible night would continue to haunt him for many decades to come. “Yes child, I was just lost in old memories”

“Oh, okay. Sorry if I made you remember anything bad.” He does not sound very sorry. Only apathetic and bored. The sudden shift in the boy’s mood is disconcerting. Why was he acting so harsh suddenly?

They walk in silence for a bit before he presents his next question, “What town are you from? I believe the sooner we go our separate ways the better.” 

It was not be the kindest thing to say but Ixtlilton has the sudden urge to finish this interaction quickly. The unexpected shift in the child’s mood has unsettled him and bad memories are beginning to surface. Though this child could not have possibly done it out of spite his question disturbed him greatly and was stirring up things he would rather forget. He would rather be on his way and seek the comforting company of his twin siblings as soon as possible, though Xochiquetzal would not arrive for at least another week simply being with Xochipilli would help with his dark thoughts. 

Charles either chooses to ignore his comment or doesn’t care to mention it as he seems to ponder his answer “I’m from Mictlan.” 

This surprises Ixtlilton, he doesn’t believe he’s ever heard of Mictlan before. “That is” he pauses “peculiar, I would have suspected you to hail from Hatfield or even the town of McCoy.” At this Ixtlilton feels a sudden spike of anger in the air that sets his fur on end. 

“I’m not from either one of those garbage towns!” he practically spits his reply. The sudden hostility stifling the air takes Ixtlilton aback and causes him to suddenly stop, he holds his hands out in a placating manner. “Child, why are you so angry? I know that there is a rivalry between the two towns, but I have not heard of the town of Mictlan being involved. And even if it was it should not be a concern to a child.” once again silence takes over before he hears a small breath.

“It’s my turn to ask a question” he says plainly “remember? You said we have to take turns” he’s very clearly avoiding the question but, he lets it go. For now.

He folds his hands back into his sleeves and tilts his head slightly before adding “Very well, continue” he turns and begins walking again. He hears Charles follow in step beside him. 

“Okay, what was it like” he began, a smirk sounding off his lips. “to lose The Raven to the Black ick?”

At this, Ixtlilton stills and once again comes to a stop. “child” he starts. “these questions hardly seem appropriate for our game” the boy seems to know more than he should and more than he let on from the beginning. How does he know of Xipe Totecs fall? of his sinking into the darkness? How does he know these things but not know he is a spirit? Or what kind of spirit he is? There is something not quite right here. His questions, so innocent in the beginning, were now able to push every one of Ixtliltons buttons and make him remember some of his darkest memories. 

“You still have to answer though! Or I won’t play anymore!” the child’s outburst echoes across the quiet landscape and startles him out of his swirling thoughts.

When Ixtlilton offers no other reply, Charles continues “Fine” he snaps. “I’ll give you a freebie then. But I get to ask another question instead.” 

He agrees if only to conclude their game faster. This whole situation was strange from the beginning and now it is just turning out to be unpleasant. 

“You have to come closer though, I want to whisper it”

“There is no one else here to hear your question child, please just ask me” he says tiredly 

“Please? This is my last question; I swear and then we can just walk quietly” 

He sighs before compiling and crouching down and placing both hands on either side of his legs to balance himself. He angles his head slightly so Charles can whisper to him.

Charles steps closer and whispers in a hushed tone “Didn’t you even wonder,” He whispers. “How I knew so much about you and the contract on the first place?”

The hair on his arms raise, was this child a threat? How could this boy, this child, seem like a threat in any way? He suddenly felt a very firm grip on either sides of his mask and before he could jerk back it was suddenly ripped away.

The world was suddenly blindingly white. He hadn’t seen the world in over a decade and suddenly sight was thrown back at him with the force of a landslide. He slammed his eyes shut in an attempt to block out the sudden onslaught of light. He stumbled to his feet and attempted to back a few paces away to give distance between him and the boy. He could not go far though; he began to feel a sudden stiffness starting at his feet and dropped his gaze. Through squinted eyes he sees dark crystals sprouting around him holding him in place. He feels a very heavy and thick drip on his face and reaches up only to have his hands almost completely overrun with a dark ooze. He jolts in horror, “What is happening?” 

“I don’t believe it was your turn yet.” Ixtlilton suddenly snapped over to the voice and takes in the appearance of his companion. He was nothing extraordinary, he had brown medium length hair and a very plain face with average weight and height. In his hands he held the dark mask. Ixtliltons own part of the contract. The crystal was spreading faster, it was up to his waist now. Soon it would completely consume him. “Looks like you won’t answer this question either. I guess I’ll give you this one too, but I’m not giving you a third chance.” He says smugly 

“I don’t understand, who are-?!“

“Let’s see” the boy cuts him off “I believe my next question is” he comes closer to stand directly in front of Ixtlilton, a leer on his lips. “where are the other shamans?” At this Ixtlilton stiffens and snaps his mouth shut. Receiving no answer, the boy continues. “keeping quiet, huh? I seem to remember you mentioning that you were heading to hollow to ‘meet your siblings’ maybe I’ll find them there?”

“No!” he howls. He had placed his siblings in great danger! He should have suspected there was something wrong with this boy from the beginning! 

“No?” the boy asks questioningly. “But Ixtlilton, I thought the point of our game was so you could help me?” He says tauntingly. “as fun as this has been, it doesn’t look like you’re up to playing anymore so I believe our little game is over” He turns and begins to saunter away. The retreating sound of snow crunching seems to taunt him. Ixtlilton can barely follow his path as his eyes struggle to adjust to his sudden sight. The world is a blurry mess, but he still manages to lock in on the retreating boys’ figure.

“Why?!” he yells “Why are you doing this? Surely you must know what will happen if you break the contract? The world will fall into darkness if you take the pieces!” he yells in despair. The crystal has reached his shoulders now. His arms are now locked in place to catch the black tears permanently. 

Charles pauses and slightly turns his head to address him “It’s what the world deserves” he says simply and so very coldly “they abandoned me so I’m making the them feel as empty as I did. And, who knows, after I finish bringing peace to the people maybe I’ll come back and let you out? Let you see how you failed the world and leave you to try and find your lost siblings after I take their pieces too.”

He feels his stomach twist uncomfortably. The crystal is close to consuming his chin now. “You won’t be able to catch them. They’re far too fast and clever to be caught by you!” 

Charles actually laughs at this, it’s a sharp and bitter sound. “Oh, I don’t know.” He drawls “If they’re anything like you then catching them should be no problem. And finding them won’t be too much of a problem, especially since their oh so trusting brother practically pointed me in their direction.”

“you will fail!” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure; you were pretty easy to beat after all. All I had to do was play the stupid lost child and you practically handed me the mask; I can’t imagine it’ll be any harder to trick the others”

Ixtlilton cannot reply as the dark crystal has overtaken his mouth now. He sees Charles smirk.

“No answer, hm? Guess this really is the end of our game” once again he begins to walk away with the dark mask hanging casually in his hand, leaving Ixtlilton to himself and his own inner thoughts as they swirl farther into despair. How could I have been so foolish? He thinks bitterly. As the crystal continues to consume his cheeks Ixtlilton shifts his eyes skyward. He prays his siblings are clever enough to see through the child’s tricks. As the crystal finally consumes his eyes he falls into slumber and prays he will not wake to a dark and empty world. 

****** 

Charles walks into the woods, leaving the monkey spirit to be consumed by the dark crystal. He smiles as he holds the mask out in front of him and lets the light glint around the edges. It’s absolutely beautiful. He finally has the first piece! All he had to do was track down the others and he would have the power to make the villagers pay, this would be way too easy! He pauses as he hears crunching snow, it has to be Amaroq coming to get him so they can go back to Miclan. He can’t wait to let him know he was able to get the mask all by himself! He turns to watch as Amaroq stalks out of the underbrush hauling a wagon behind him. “We have a new destination.” He says. “Were going to Hollow next!”

******  
Xochipilli sighs and watches the fog of breath dissipate into the air. He was sitting beneath Tlalocs fountain bored and maybe just a bit worried. Ixtlilton was supposed to meet him here days ago but so far there had been hide nor hair of him anywhere in or around the town. The first day he hadn’t been too worried, he may have been delayed but as one turned into two and two into three, he started to become less irritated and more concerned with his brothers continued absence. What could possibly be keeping him? He huffs again. Staying here and waiting was becoming less and less of an appealing option. It was time to start searching for his wayward brother. The problem was: how was he going to search the whole area by himself? Xochiquetzal wasn’t going to arrive for days yet and the idea of waiting by himself for even one more hour was enough to drive him crazy. There was no way he was going to be able to look everywhere before she arrived either. He sits in deep thought for a bit longer before an idea suddenly strikes him. He smiles, he knows some folks that would be willing to help him, and they were close by too!  
He was going to need some major help, so maybe it was time to catch up with the kids that live between Hatfeild and McCoy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for the read! If anyone liked my writing then maybe send in a prompt? I would like to write more for this fandom and any new ideas would be considered! Peace till next time.


End file.
